I Love You in the Morning
by obsidians
Summary: This is a little snippet about people generally being happy being in each other's presence as they slowly fall in love.
1. Chapter 1

I don't own FF7 or its characters and make no profit from writing these stories.

Reno woke up with an aching head and the sound of cheerful bird song in his ears and wondered why; he lived in a sound proof condo high in the sky where those cheerful motherfuckers dared not tread.

He opened his eyes and then squinted them against the bright light of the room. He had blackout curtains….so where?

Then he recognized the guestroom at Tifa's apartment. There were three bedrooms in her apartment; one she slept in, one she wouldn't ever let anyone else sleep in but…..him even when he wasn't around and the final one, she reserved for those she trusted when they drank too much. Like Reno.

He turned his head and did not spot his clothes, but he did see his goggles had been placed on the nightstand along with his weapon, wallet and keys.

He cracked up that Tifa had whimsically placed an actual mint on the pillow beside him.

This he ate while retrieving the guest bathrobe she kept in the closet and padded his way to the washroom. Reno kept a toothbrush and duplicate toiletries of his own at home there for when he stayed over and wouldn't dare touch the dusty containers belonging to the man who lived there out of respect for her.

Tifa woke up to the sound of Reno badly singing an old eighties song while he showered and got up and found herself grooving to it while he sang.

"Rag doll, livin' in a movie  
Hot tramp, daddy's little cutie  
You're so fine, they'll never see ya leavin' by the back door, mam  
Hot time get it while it's easy…."

She brushed her hair and went and made coffee for them.

Reno shaved and gelled his hair and let it air dry, feeling better after a good, cleansing shower.

He laughed when he found Tifa ironing a white shirt that seemed to be his own and leaned against the door frame. "I thought women ironing clothes in their slips was reserved just for old movies?" he commented with amusement in his voice. "I keep telling you; you don't have to do my laundry."

"It's a night dress" she corrected him. "Considering what you spilled on your uniform and how not one, but five women threw their drinks at you. I had to do something before your shirt was ruined. Thank you for remembering to wear underwear this time" she said while looking pointedly at him, making him aware of who had undressed him and put him to bed.

"You like what you see?" he asked her.

"Not bad for a scrawny guy" she commented as she handed him his neatly folded uniform and well pressed shirt on a hanger and unplugged her iron.

"You're a doll" he drolly said taking them and going to dress.

Tifa held a cup of coffee out to him as he turned up in all his usual shabby elegance and he took it with a grateful smile.

He sat down at the table with her "five women huh?" he commented as he drank it.

"And you got slapped three times as well; twice on your right cheek and once on your left" Tifa summed up for him and he downed the Tylenol placed in front of him without comment.

"I told you I'm irresistible to women" he said beaming a cocky smile at her.

"So I noticed" she said smiling back. He stayed with her about once a week and she found herself liking the Turk no matter what he stood for. After all they were no longer what they once had once been with their dwindling numbers and were far more benevolent and now were being commanded by a far kinder Shinra. Sometimes she found it hard to believe that the cheerful young man sitting in front of her was a deadly assassin. But then again, her own small stature was deceptive too.

"Would you like breakfast?" she asked him.

"My belly's a little off" he politely declined.

"An hour from now you'll be scarfing down a cheeseburger" she said in disapproval.

"And you'll have half a grapefruit and continue to eat hardly anything throughout the day, but binge eat at two am" he said looking at her through narrowed eyes and she blushed and looked away and he grinned victoriously at her.

"I should go to the office" he said standing up.

"Yes, you're already fashionably late" she said looking at the time.

"They wouldn't recognize me if I was on time" he said.

"You're pretty hard to miss Turk-wise. Everyone else looks so prim and proper" Tifa commented.

"I think I was born without those traits" he said walking towards her entryway.

"You okay to drive?" she asked him.

"We're you planning to drive me? I'm fine" he assured her as they both stood on her porch. She wore a black nightgown that did resemble a long black slip and her hair hung loose down her back. He thought she looked beautiful.

"Drive carefully then" she said as she always did.

"Like a little old lady" he assured her. "Do I get a kiss goodbye?" he asked her facetiously.

"On the cheek" she said pointing to it.

He went to but then turned his head and kissed her on the lips instead.

"Stop that" she said but with no heat behind her words as red bloomed at the tops of her cheeks; he chuckled when she punched him on the arm.

"I think you like my kisses. That Cloud is a real idiot to leave you on the market for so long" he commented and then realized he had said the wrong thing when she looked sad. "I meant; what a wife you would make. I'll tell you what, if you're not married in five years. Will you marry me?" he said crossing his arms and looking down at her.

"You're on. The way you drink, you'll probably be dead in five years" she flippantly commented while wondering if he was being serious.

"Probably, but we shall see" he said and got into his car.

"You know, it's okay if you want to keep some changes of clothes here" Tifa offered.

"You really like me being here with you. Is my charm starting to rub off on you? Shall we start picking out China patterns?" he teased her, his blue eyes seemed to dance in the morning light and she blushed that she noticed this and looked away.

"I was just thinking it would save me on laundry duty" she hotly insisted.

"I _told_ you I'm irresistible" he said with a smirk and drove off, giving her a cheerful wave goodbye and she waved after him.

He was such a rascal but she liked him and although she would never admit it to him, she liked when he stayed overnight, it was nice having someone to talk to in the mornings even if they slept in separate beds. She was used to taking care of members of avalanche but both the Turks and avalanche had changed with time. So was it so odd that a Turk had found his way into her limitless heart?


	2. Chapter 2

It was a Saturday morning and Reno had the day off so he ignored the spare uniform now hanging in the guest/Reno's room closet and went into the dresser drawer Tifa had emptied for him, the rest of the dresser contained her cool weather clothes.

The closet also formerly had contained some of her old sports equipment but she seemed to have moved it. He certainly never asked her to make any alterations to the room when he had begun crashing over and would include a generous tip for the next time he came in as thanks for her troubles.

However, over the course of the months he'd been crashing with her, he found the room had gradually improved, the old and faded sheets had been replaced with new ones. The worn comforter had been replaced with a much nicer one and extra blankets placed in the trunk at the end of the bed.

Then the wobbly nightstand had been replaced and she had suggested he bring in a toothbrush and his toiletries for his comfort to be kept in the washroom, now Tifa's spare room was like his little home away from home.

He remembered the stern lectures he'd received from Tifa at first that were more like tongue lashings about the long term effects of excessive drinking and about remembering birth control when having multiple sex partners. Then he remembered how she'd blushed when he showed her the four extra large condoms he diligently carried with him at all times in a hidden pocket. That had shut her up.

He would suffer in silence during her fire and brimstone lectures while hung over and then one day silenced her with a kiss and told her she was too pretty to spout all that negativity and wow she had blushed...and then tried to kill him.

Their banter turned more friendly as they warmed up to each other as she discovered he wasn't just muscle, but had a decent brain and he discovered she wasn't frigid as he had originally thought. Beneath her cool exterior was a passionate woman hopeless devoted to someone he was starting to suspect was an imbecile. Then he started to like her and envied Cloud that he had a strong woman who cared so much about people and now Reno too. Reno never asked her to do a thing for him, it was just in her nature to tend to those she cared about. He teased her about how she acted like she was his nanny but in truth, it was refreshing to have someone fuss over him a little. Although just seeing her smiling at him would have been enough.

He had a shower, brushed his teeth and pulled on a pair of box shorts, fresh socks, jeans and a Spiderman t-shirt. He didn't bother spiking his hair, he didn't even bother binding his hair into its usual ponytail. People should be glad he showered the stink of booze oozing from his pores on the weekends.

He placed his soiled uniform into a bag for him to take care of when he got home.

He silently padded from the room, it was early yet and he didn't want to wake Tifa. A part of him was a bit upset he wouldn't get to have coffee with her before he left. He looked forward to it but felt a bit awkward since he had asked her to marry him, even at an undetermined date, years into the future.

Had he been serious? He wasn't sure. The fact is, he liked and admired her but knew her to be off limits and respected those boundaries, but that didn't mean he couldn't engage in a little harmless flirtation with her. He felt so comfortable around her, she knew exactly how he was and never judged him, other than tease him about his lack of conquests when he struck out. Yet sometimes he wondered if he didn't try hard enough some night so he could wake up to spend time with her.

He crept down the stairs and debating writing her a note and then decided to go for it. He wasn't a huge note writer but it felt like he was trying to sneak away when he left her without saying goodbye, a courtesy he never extended to his actual lovers. He normally dressed and was out the door to avoid goodbyes.

Finding a pen and paper, he wrote:

"Thank you for putting me up yet again.

I hope you enjoyed the view, I've been working on my abs with this new routine.

Enjoy the rest of your day.

I might stop by tonight but won't be staying over, I have to go to a heinous bachelor party.

Love,

Reno"

He froze when he stared at where he had written, "love." When had he turned into a fifteen year old teenaged girl? Was he going to put x's and o's underneath it next? Just his signing his name beneath the body of the letter would have been sufficient, so why had he...

"Caught you" Tifa said coming down the stairs in a pair of sleep shorts and a camisole, causing him to jump and he wondered how she'd managed to sneak up on him. Part of his job was to always be alert.

"Did you think you were going to leave without saying goodbye?" she demanded.

"I thought you might want to sleep in" he said. "I was leaving you a note" he said tucking the evidence of his own foolishness inside his pocket.

"Sorry my spidey senses are tingling and they are telling me you're staying for breakfast" she announced, looking at his shirt and crossed her arms as if daring him to defy her directive. "Unless there's somewhere else you have to be" she added in a more reasonable tone, realizing he could have a breakfast date for all she knew. Why did that bother her?

He crossed his arms right back and grinned at her, he looked so different without his customary spikes but he was just as handsome...wait handsome? "It depends, are you going to eat with me or just nibble on some sort of fruit? You can't be worrying about your figure, you have a perfect one...I mean..." he said and then shut up and cursed how his normal gift for gab had deserted him and left him a bumbling rube.

"Perfect, you think so?" she said twirling before him and assumed a modeling pose.

"I thought someone was just offering me breakfast, if you're offering up more..." he said wiggling his eyebrows at her and this caused her to crack up.

"Come on Spidey, let's get you fed. I'm making scrambled eggs with bacon and lightly toasted bread" she asked, taking his hand and towing him towards the kitchen. "Yes I will eat them with you" she assured him.

"I don't know how you can offer me only food after your little display" he complained but good naturedly and smiled down on her but didn't let go of her hand as they entered her apartment again.

He volunteered to make the coffee and set the table while she cooked. They ate discussing plans for the weekend. He told her of the dull as dishwasher bachelor party his cousin had planned for the evening. His cousin had opted to go bowling on his final night of freedom and his fiancée had opted for something just as dull.

She told him of an art exhibition she planned to check out while he washed the dishes. He sensed he should leave but lingered, he had nothing to do that day but shop for groceries and thought of asking if he could attend the art exhibition with her. However, it wasn't his place to intrude upon her life and he knew nothing about art. "I should go" he said, picking up the bag containing his uniform.

"Oh no, you're leaving those with me" she said taking it from him.

"I can wash my own clothes" he protested.

She pulled his shirt out and looked at it critically "you have to start buying girls only clear drinks; this is a Caesar stain. Call me the Stain Goddess, I can get any stain out" she bragged.

"Okay my Goddess, but I owe you...again. However shall a repay you?" he asked her.

"I close the bar after the dinner hour on Sunday" Tifa said.

"You want me to come to dinner? Are you still bent on seducing me? You can have your way with me any time you want" he teased her.

"I was think..perhaps we can go somewhere?" she suggested, wondering her cheeks were flaming and feeling more like a school girl with a crush than a grown woman.

"Are you suggesting we go on a date?" he asked her, examining her.

"No...well perhaps, oh never mind. You probably have a hot date with a pair of twins that day" she said trying to laugh it off.

"I don't have any plans and would love to take you out" he said and then inwardly cursed, what was with him spouting all this love nonsense? He couldn't just say; "Sunday is doable", oh no, not him, he had to _love_ to take her out.

"I should be ready for seven" she suggested, now wondering if her cheeks were glowing.

"I'll pick you up. Do you like roses?" he asked her.

"You don't have to buy anything for me" she protested, ducking her head shyly.

"Wear something nice, there's this new restaurant that everyone is raving about" he said, trying to sound like a man about town when, in actual fact his favourite restaurant was a Wutaian place with the unfortunate name of Pu Pu Hot Pot. He made a mental note to research restaurants that has just opened and search yelp to find which ones were being raved about.

"We don't have to go anywhere fancy" Tifa assured him.

"I want to take you somewhere nice" he insisted. Way to go moneybags; he inwardly and sourly thought.

"So I'll see you tomorrow" Tifa said.

"Of course, I would love to take you on the town" he said. Love again; really? Smooooooth.

"Okay see you tomorrow" he said bending to kiss her cheek but this time she moved her head so they were kissing again and did so longer than normal as two pairs of arms snaked around each other. "I should go" he said, feeling a bit off balance after their kiss.

"I'll see you tomorrow" she shyly said feeling a bit off balance herself and walked him out of his car and waved as he drove away. She liked him in jeans, normally his booty was covered by his shirt and jacket but in jeans, it showed he had a nice one..." she quickly quashed that thought and wondered if a cold shower was in order.


	3. Chapter 3

Reno researched restaurants and then reviews on yelp and was mystified by number of them there were and wasn't sure what half of food that was listed on the menus even was.

He wasn't one given to taking dates to nice restaurants, heck he wasn't one to even go on dates! In fact, he was pretty sure his last date was just before he dropped out of high school. The only experience he had with nice restaurants was when he was acting as bodyguard to the President.

He felt like a fish out of water and completely sober after the night before from being at the most boring bachelor party ever where he had beat the pants off of his cousin bowling and then went home and starting researching.

Reno wondered what sort of food Tifa liked and wondered if he should call her and _ask_ , but thought it was a man's responsibility to plan for dates. What was wrong with him that he felt nervous about a simple dinner date with Tifa? He certain knew how to talk with her. She probably just wanted to have dinner with him as a friend. They had hit it off in their time together and perhaps was just curious how it would go with them doing something publicly together.

He felt like a total fish out of water again at the overwhelming choices, so made a phone call to someone who he knew to be good at this stuff and was told to come over right away.

Reno drove his car over to the Shinra estate and was admitted and smiled in passing as Scarlet exited the house, obviously coming from her own meeting with the President. She nodded politely back and he was escorted into the President's office.

"So what can I do for you Reno?" Rufus asked him without preamble.

"I have a date tonight and need to know where is a good place to take her" he blurted out in a rush of words.

"You have a date? That's a new one. Is this someone you just met?" Rufus said having a seat behind his desk and giving his subordinate his full attention.

"She's someone I've known for a while, but never really considered asking on a date before. She already has someone else she likes" Reno said as vaguely as possible.

"And this other person is where?" Rufus said.

"He's frequently abandons her for long periods of time. He has mental problems and is possibly hung up on a women he was also acquainted with" Reno answered. He had been pretty much on the other side of the curtain when he witnessed Cloud and Aerith's relationship but now felt offended for Tifa in hindsight. She had done so much for Cloud; rebuilt him from the ground up, gave up any possible future to buy and run a bar to give them a home, adopted a child he had found and he ran away from her to stay in the church because an infatuation with a dead girl that might have been only a reflection of Zack's emotions. It was a shitty thing to do to someone, especially someone as nice as Tifa. Reno knew he had no right to be irked at blonde ass,but he was.

Rufus raised one eyebrow at how vehemently Reno spoke of his competition, was it possible the young TURK had been hooked by someone? "It sounds she deserves better" he mused.

"She does. However, could you just suggest a restaurant for me yo?" he asked him, trying to get his curious boss to focus on the problem at hand.

"In a bit, I'm now curious about this lady of yours. What kind of food does she like?" he asked him.

"I don't really know, we only really eat breakfast together occasionally" he admitted.

"So you're sleeping together?" Rufus asked him

"Actually no, we've only have kissed a few times" Reno explained.

"So is she attractive?" Rufus asked him finding it odd the normally slutty man wasn't sleeping with the woman but wanted to take to for an expensive meal.

"Very, she has the sweetest smile and her hair smells like strawberries when I hug her" Reno enthused, sounding to Rufus like a man falling for a woman.

"How's her rack? She have a nice ass?" Rufus crudely asked him, just to see his reaction.

Suddenly Reno was looming over him as his hands slapped the top of Rufus's desk and he got right into Rufus's face. "There is _no_ need to talk about her like that; she's a lady" he said in a threatening voice.

Rufus only grinned back, Reno was a known gossip and normally thought nothing sharing his sexual adventures with people. "I apologize if I offended you. I stand corrected; here is the place to take her" Rufus said calling up a website and scheduling a reservation in for that night. "Now let's give you some pointers about being a gentleman when it comes to escorting a date to an upscale restaurant" Rufus said.

"I'll be fine" Reno insisted.

Rufus quirked a smile at him.

Half an Hour Later

"Okay, you escort a lady into the restaurant by placing your hand on the small of her back in a way that territorial but not overwhelming, you take her to her seat and pull her chair out and allow her time to smooth her dress down before you push it in. Then you drape the napkin across her lap without touching her person and have a seat yourself" Rufus instructed. "Now try it on me" he encouraged Reno.

"I feel so stupid" Reno said as he placed his hand on Rufus's back and followed his instructions.

"Good, now you have to take the wine list" Rufus simpered and blew a kiss at him.

"I wish you would stop doing that, yo" Reno complained, pretending to taking a fake wine list from a fake waiter.

"I'm just getting into character. Drop the yos and sit up straight" Rufus snapped at him and Reno sighed with frustration and did.

"I think you're ready. What are you wearing tonight?" Rufus asked him.

"I have a decent black suit" Reno said.

"Slick your hair back and wear this" Rufus said and went and got a tie for him.

Reno narrowed his eyes at it; he didn't like ties. When his uniform had been issued to him, he had taken one look at the tie and thought it was the stupidest thing to wear in combat, it could get caught in things or else could be used to strangle you if your enemy got too close. So he simply didn't wear one.

Now he was being asked to wear not a plain black one, but emerald green. Why did the entire world think that redheads looked their best in green? He had so many unworn clothes bought for him over the years in that garish colour. He looked his best in basic black, it brought out his eyes and enhanced his lean, pale features. But he thanked Rufus and took the tie with him.

Tifa herself was a wreck, she had no clue what to wear and felt nervous. Why was she like this? He was just a friend. He had never shown the slightest bit of interest in her other than being friendly and flirtatious towards her, but Reno was flirtatious towards lots of women. That was just his nature. He could be flirting with a woman right now for all she knew Tifa relaxed her grip on the dress she held when she heard a stitch give away when it threatened to rip in her anger.

However, he wasn't. He was with a women but not doing that.

He was gussied up to the nines and barely looked like himself but for his tattoos, his hair was slicked back and ponytail neat and centered. His suit was double breasted and his shirt-snowy white and wore the tie with matching a pocket square as Rufus had insisted. He felt self conscious and rather foolish truth be told, especially as he attempted to purchase flowers for his "date."

"So these are for an apology?" the florist asked the nervous looking man.

"No a first date. I want something that isn't too showy without making me look like a cheap bum" he explained to her.

"Are you picking her up from her place?" the florist asked. "I need to know if you intend her to drag them around with her the entire night. Some men simply don't think of these things" she said as if interrogating him.

"I'm picking her up from her apartment" he explained. "I just want to make a good impression."

"I'll make you a simple bouquet of some stargazers lilies with few rose mixed in. Pretty without making you look to desperate" she said and he got the impression he had passed some sort of test made for potential suitors by the floral industry.

Tifa wore a plain black sheath dress with a slit on one side that showed a nice amount of long legs without looking tacky. She wore a matching choker as her only jewelry and black flats completed the outfit. She played with her dress nervously as she waited for Reno to arrive. She was acting like such a fool!

His black SUV turned into her parking lot and she fought the impulse to go outside and greet him.

Reno got out of his car and picked up the flowers, vaguely remembering doing this for a date to a high school dance, she had been his first lover and he was still suffering from virginal infatuation back then. So what was his excuse now? He felt the same feeling of butterflies in his stomach that he felt back then. He was a grown man who frequently faced death without a twitch and now he was as jumpy as anything! Who cared if Tifa would like how he looked or not? She had seen him at his best, she had seen him at his worst and even naked.

He marched up to the front door and rang the doorbell to her apartment entrance. When the door opened, she smiled up at him in greeting and she sight of her all dressed up caused the words to flee from his mouth at how beautiful she looked. She was equally as entranced a how handsome he was.

It was a good thirty seconds before he was able to speak as he stood there staring like an idiot at her. He suddenly thrust the bouquet towards her and stammered "Hi Flowers, I got you some Tifas" and then blushed when he realized how little sense what he had just said made. He turned an even darker red, to the point his tattoos were no longer visible when she began to laugh.


	4. Chapter 4

Tifa was still chuckling as Reno drove them towards the restaurant. "You're enjoying this too much" he said in a gruff voice with no actual heat behind it.

"It's not every day I make an insta-idiot out of a man. Haven't you seen a woman in a dress before?" she asked him, daring to stick her tongue out at him.

"Don't you stick that out unless you intend to use it" he threatened.

"You do look great and I loved my flowers" she said and he smirked at this.

"I told you I'm irresistible" he said and reached out and gently squeezed her hand and she squeezed it back, enjoying when he touched her no matter how slight. It had been a long time since she enjoyed a man's touch and she seemed to thrive on his. If only Cloud...she turned her eyes away from Reno's smiling face, she was betraying Cloud...wait Reno was only her friend. But if Cloud didn't get his act together, she _might_ take Reno up on his offer to marry her. Certainly if they had a daughter with his hair colour and perhaps his eyes and Tifa's lips, she'd be a knock out, she thought turning to study him again and took a hold of his ponytail without thinking.

He glanced questioningly at her "are you plotting to cut it off?" he teased her. "You would have to wake up very early to get the jump on me, braver men than you have tried."

"What? No...I was just thinking about something" she hotly denied as she released it, and realized she had been speculating what their children would look like.

"How hot I look?" he said with a cocksure grin.

"You're so vain, I bet you think this song is about you" she quoted. "For a scrawny guy" she added and he rolled his eyes at this.

"I'm certain you like checking me out when you undress me" he said glancing at her.

Actually Tifa did, even though she wouldn't admit it to him, he was well portioned for his body type with a rock hard torso with chiseled abs, leading to a small waist and with long, muscular limbs that held more strength then one would suspect. She suddenly felt a tingling in a place she hadn't experienced for a while unless she touched herself. She'd been little more than a girl the last time she'd made love and barely remembered what it felt like to be with a man. Had she even climaxed? What would it feel like to make love with...and her eyes went wide and she flushed when her brain supplied a very vivid image of the two of them writhing skin on skin.

"Are you okay?" he asked, concerned how she looked so flushed. "I can turn the AC on if you're too hot" he offered, not realizing the actual cause of her discomfort and he was surprised when she looked rather guilty.

"I'm fine" she said and was relieved when they got to the restaurant. Until she walked in and realized exactly how fancy the place was. The place seemed to be constructed completely of white marble that was contrasted by the black wrought iron banisters of the staircases, lights and huge chandelier over top the main room. The tables were draped with black tablecloths and has a tall red centerpiece on each. Tifa had never been to such a restaurant in her life and she wondered if they charged just to breath in the air of the place. Reno was about to take her shawl when she made a decision. She didn't want their first date to be in so stuffy a place. "Let's get out of here" she said with finality in her voice, tightening her hand on her shawl.

"Don't you like it here?" he asked her in confusion.

"I would rather go to _your_ favourite restaurant" she said turning to look up at him.

"Well this is..." he lied.

"You can't expect me to believe that" she said shaking her head at him.

"Do you think I can't afford for us to dine here?" he asked her.

"I don't think you like being at these places anymore then I do" she said. "I can just see you hovering in a corner while Rufus stuffs his face. I want to go somewhere that _you_ like" she insisted.

"Come on then" he said pressing his hand to the small of her back. "Cancel our reservation" he said to the host.

He stood in the threshold of the Pu Pu Hot Pot and had realized how shabby it looked. On the walls was some kind of red wallpaper that had discoloured over time and cardboard signs pasted to it announced food specials written in neon ink.

It like every Wutaian restaurant such as you would find anywhere in Little Wutai with its multiple layers of plastic tablecloths that could be peeled off to ready the table for the next patron. The art work was faded pictures of cheap prints made by unknown Wutai artists. The nodding cat statue at the entrance, its head lolled in an odd direction with each nod as if it were drunk and even the fountain in the corner was dry as it had stopped working years before.

The red leather chairs and booths had rents fixed with duct tape and the entire place looked cheap and gaudy. Reno wondered why he never had realized that in all the years going there, loving the late hours so he could always get a bite to eat no matter how late or get take out. The place was a couple blocks walk from his place, so it was a convenient place to go to and the food was the best Wutai he had ever tasted.

He suddenly felt ashamed and realized he hadn't risen as far in the world as he thought if he thought that it was a proper place to dine. His street rat self would have loved it there.

"Welcome" Charlie, the owner greeted him in thick Wutaian accent. "Oh hello Reno" he said his accent suddenly disappearing."And who is this beautiful lady?"

"This is Tifa, I'm not sure we're..." he said putting his arm around her.

"A table for two please, what a charming place you have here" Tifa intervened.

"We could go elsewhere" Reno whispered to her.

"This place is perfectly fine and I want to see why you like it" she whispered back as they were led to a table.

"Tifa, I wanted to take you to a place befitting a lady" he hissed.

"Good thing I'm not one" she said and he sighed and held the chair for her and then picked up a napkin.

"Shall I put this on your lap or tie it around your neck so you can use it as a bib, m'lady?" he inquired.

"You're such a gentlemen" she said lifting her hair out of the way and he tied it around her neck.

"Welcome to Pu Pu Hot Pot," Charlie's wife, Ming said and then dropped her accent too when she realized it was Reno and greeted him. "Sorry about that, tourists expect all restaurant owners to have old world accents but we were born here" she apologized.

"Ming this is Tifa, what are your specials tonight?" Reno greeted her.

"You can get the pu pu hot pot for half price" Ming offered.

"We'll look at the menus" Tifa said.

"I'll go get some" Ming said and disappeared.

"Can I see your wine list?" Reno asked Charlie in his snootiest sounding voice.

"Hey Ming do we still have that homemade bottle of red from your Uncle's wedding?" Charlie cried into the kitchen.

"Two beers" Tifa ordered, "we both drink the same brand" she explained.

"An excellent choice" Charlie said in a bad french accent and bowed. "Shall I decant them and allow you to taste them first?" he asked her.

"No, just bring the bottles over, we don't need glasses" Tifa said.

"You're a girl after my own heart" Reno complimented her when it turned out they liked all the same dishes.

Tifa took a swig of beer "is it truly mine for the taking? it seems you always have a line up for people wanting it" she said but with a smile on her face.

"It remains untouched and I wouldn't take anyone but my future wife to such a fine dining establishment" Reno said spreading his arms to indicate the entire place.

"I don't even know your last name" she realized.

"St. Clair, you can keep your own name if you prefer" he said said turning his full attention on her.

"Tifa St. Clair does sound rather nice. Perhaps if Pu Pu is still in business in five years, we can book them to cater our wedding? I can see why you like it here, the food's incredible. Is this to become _our_ place?" she asked him.

"If we go down that road; then we will need to find a mutual song that is significant to us that becomes our song. We will have to pick pet names for each other that will drive people nuts and develop our our little couple quirks. I draw the line at us dressing alike though" he said with a smile.

"Can I call you honey bunny?" she asked him.

"Only if I can call you sweetie tweetie" he replied.

"You're on, but only after we're married" she said giving him a stern look and they clinked bottles.

"I can definitely agree to that" he said.

They had a good time chatting and getting know each other better and Tifa excused herself while Charlie went to package the rest of their meals. "Here, this will help you get laid" he whispered to him while he lay their fortune cookies down.

"What do you mean by that?" Reno asked him and he just smirked and left.

Reno laughed when he read his "your co-workers agree that your head is too small for your body...in bed. What does that even mean?" he laughed.

"It is a bit on the puny side" Tifa said tilting her head and studying him.

" _Everything_ is proportion on my body" he deadpanned. "What does yours say and don't forget to add; in bed" he reminded her.

"Everything you have been looking for is right in front of you...in bed" she said.

"Come, I'm your destiny" he said holding out his arms out to her.

"I'll consider it" she said as he helped her on with her shawl and lightly pressed his lips against her own.

"Do you have to go straight home?" he asked her.

"No" she replied.

"It might be a bit odd, but there's something I would like to show you" he said.

"Lead on, you and I are odd as it is" she said as he held open her door for her and drove her to a dark field.

"Are you planning to kill me and bury me here?" she asked him.

"If I were to kill you, they would never find your body" he said. "No, it's something I've never shared with anyone before, I think you'll like it" he said opening his hatchback and pulling out a blanket.

"What's that for?" she asked him.

"It's not what you're thinking, trust me" he said reaching for her hand and she took it as they walked towards a hill. She watched curiously as he lay the blanket down when they reached the top of the slight incline. "If you'll lie down" he requested.

"I bet you say that to all the girls" she said.

"It's not that" he said offering her his hand and helping her lie back and then lay beside her. "What are we doing?" she asked him, turning her head and she could just make him out in the light of the full moon.

"Just look up" he said with a jerk of his head and her eyes went wide that the stars seems so close it was like she could reach out and grab a handful of them.

"They're beautiful" she breathed.

"I discovered this place shortly after I moved here, I had never seen stars before, the slums didn't even have natural lighting. I still come here sometimes when I want to think, I literally get lost amongst the stars, I can point out the constellations if you like. I learned them from a book" he offered.

"I guess I had better get comfortable then and draped an arm over him and placed her head on his shoulder and he fit his arms around her so perfectly it was like they had been doing it for years. "That's the big dipper, that's the little dipper, that's orions belt..." he pointed out and then they were kissing and his offensive tie was undone and removed and his shirt opened to about the level he normally had it at as small warm hands stroked the contours of his chest and he went to ease her dress up but her hand stopped him.

She half sat up. "Reno I like you and want you but, I can't" she said. "I can't be with someone who is with other people" she explained.

"I like and want you too, I guess we're in a monogamous relationship then" he promised her. What-what his brain stammered?

"You would do that for me?" she asked him.

"Just you and I from now on" he promised her. Again WTF?

"Do you mind if we wait? It's been a long time for me and I know so little about you. Just a little while" she suggested in a nervous voice.

"Of course it will make it all that more special when we make love" he assured her and kissed her the top of her head. SPECIAL? Again with the love? His rational mind screamed at him. Now he _really_ was acting like a fifteen year old girl He found himself trying to picture himself as a fifteen year old girl and wasn't impressed by the image, so took off the tattoos (what had she been thinking?) and substituted Tifa's face for his own and gave her Tifa's large eyes. His face softened, she looked adorable and noooooo; he wasn't trying to picture what their children would look like!

"We should get you home" he said bolting to his feet and gathered up the blanket and took her to his car.

'Would you like to stay the night?" she asked him as they stood on her porch.

"I would just try to worm my way into your bed" he said.

"Then this is goodnight" she said as she leaned against him and he took her into his arms and kissed her in a way that left them both breathless. He wondered if that was how her kisses affected him, how he would survive their first time making love?

He left feeling like he was a man teetering on the brink of a precipitous of something so vast and unknown to him and he was about to fall into it and be swept away by it.


	5. Chapter 5

It was a boring meeting, so Reno felt his thoughts drifting and smiled when he thought of Tifa, although they had only shared some chaste touches and soul searing kisses, being with her meant the world to him.

They had agreed to wait to announce themselves formally as a couple once she broke the news to her friends and officially broke up with Cloud. They didn't want to enter into a new relationship with the past hanging over them. He was pretty sure AVALANCHE would be okay with them dating, after all, they all knew each other and he was even kind of friendly with a couple members. Tifa had told him that she had left messages for Cloud everywhere she could think of, telling him they needed to talk. Reno just had to wait a little longer and then he and Tifa would...

"I'm sorry, is my meeting interrupting your daydreams?" Tseng voice suddenly cut in.

"I'm paying attention" Reno insisted.

"Who's the girl?" Elena demanded.

"What girl?" Reno stammered.

"The one that has you on her hook" Elena said with a huge grin.

"I'm not on anyone's hook. What does that even mean?" he asked her.

"For a couple weeks now, you've been staring into space and making goofy grins. Someone has you on her hook and is getting ready to reel you in. You're totally in love" Elena announced.

"That's not true, yo" Reno insisted and could feel himself turning red. Was he?

"Yeah, when you going to spill the beans about this mystery girl of your?" Rude said.

"There isn't anyone" Reno lied.

"You've been going to 7th Heaven a lot, yet not hitting on any women and you haven't been hung over in all that time. It seems to me you're involved with someone" Rude said.

"It's true, I'm having an affair with a bar stool" Reno agreed. He actually had been hanging out at the bar but no longer felt the need to get drunk, he would talk to Tifa when she was available and longed to draw her into his arms, kiss her and tell the world she was his, but would wait. He felt she would be worth waiting for. He couldn't believe how happy he was having her as his girlfriend; he was ecstatic!

"Spill the beans, I'm your best friend" Rude insisted.

"Okay, I've been keeping it from you because I know you like her too, yo. I'm involved with Tifa Lockhart" he admitted.

"The AVALANCHE member?" Elena said in shock. "But they hate us."

'They don't hate all of us" Reno said. "I'm sorry Rude" he added.

"It's okay I'm seeing someone too" Rude said and Elena blushed a little at this. "I'm happy for you. Are you exclusive?" he asked him.

"Yes we're monogamous. Man, I never thought I would be able to say that word without laughing" Reno said.

"A TURK with a member of AVALANCHE? Times really have changed" Tseng said. "She's a fine woman. Better than you deserve" he said and everyone laughed.

"A TURK in love. I feel like we should celebrate" Elena said, feeling happy for her friend and co-worker. It was like he was finally growing up; giving up partying and his playboy ways and getting involved in a committed relationship with a nice woman.

"We'll have to do that another night. Once this meeting is done, I have go home and straighten up and then pick Tifa up because I'm showing her my place for the first time" he explained and then looked up at how it suddenly went so silent you could have heard a pin drop.

"Your place?" Rude said. "Did you even clean up?"

"I straightened up a little" Reno snapped, feeling offended.

"This is an emergency Men...and Elena. Let's go" Tseng ordered them.

A convoy of government issued black SUVs hailed to the same destination and one went to a certain parking spot while the others found visitor's parking. They approached the door and opened it. "Elena in there, Rude you start there and move onto the adjoining room. I'll take that room and Reno, you take that room" Tseng ordered them.

An Hour Later

"The bathroom is spotless, I never knew that you had gray tiles on your floor" Elena said to Reno.

"Ditto on your living room and all traces of your porno collection were well hidden" Tseng said to him.

"Your bedroom is now clean, what's with the bag of unworn green clothes? You stocking up for St. Patrick's day?" Rude asked him. "I also straightened your guest bedroom and office while I was at it."

"Reno you done in the kitchen?" Tseng called to him.

"I washed all of my dishes and cleaned everything" he said rolling his eyes.

"I would say you're ready for Tifa's visit" Elena said looking around with approval at the former disaster that was Reno's condo. Everything about it screamed bachelor pad, but it was now clean and passable enough that a potential life partner wouldn't run screaming from it in horror.

"It wasn't that bad" Reno protested.

"It was horrid" Rude said to him.

"Should I go purchase flowers to make the place more cheerful?" Elena asked.

"It's still a guy's place" Reno reminded her.

"Perhaps I could get you some wine?" Elena offered, wanting to help out.

"She's a beer drinker, like me and I already have our favourite brand in the fridge" he explained.

"What about food? I could make something simple that would make it look like you made it yourself" Elena offered.

"If Reno made it, it would have to say either KD on the side of the package or Hungry Man on top" Rude said.

"I'm not much of a cook" Reno admitted.

"You should learn how. I know someone who could teach you" she said and Rude seemed to blush at this.

"It's okay, I have people handling that" Reno assured them.

At The Pu Pu Hot Pot

"Delivery? Since when do we deliver?" Charlie snapped at his young wife, Ming.

"I offered because Reno's a good customer for years and he lives locally" she said smiling at Charlie in a way she knew he never could resist.

"Why did you offer?" he asked her.

"He offered to pick the food up but I told him we would bring it to his place. He ordered enough for two people, I think he's having a date with Tifa. I think she's the one for him" she said.

"You're such a romantic, you always want people to be in a happy relationship" Charlie teased her.

"Because we are. I like her and think he likes her. He reminds me of a younger you when we first got together" she said.

"I'm not even thirty, I would be surprised if he's even five years younger than me" Charlie said.

"I meant those goofy looks you used to give me" she said.

"What goofy looks?" he demanded.

"Like this" she said opening her eyes really wide and smiling as broadly as she could.

"I've never looked like that in my life, woman" he protested and kissed her cheek. "Now you make the food and I'll drive it over. I guess we have to keep those two happy if they're thinking about booking us to cater their as of yet undetermined wedding day" he said, he'd accidently had overheard their conversation and thought it a coincidence, considering Ming and himself were talking of branching out into catering and hiring a delivery driver. Their restaurant had a steady stream of loyal customers and a string of excellent reviews, but they wanted to go bigger than their small place allowed.

Back at Reno's

"Thanks for the help" Reno said and his nosey neighbour, Agatha Biggleswich came to his door.

"Reno who are these people? Wait you cleaned your place?" she said.

"I'm sorry that is classified government information" Tseng said to her and left with the others.

Reno thanked Charlie for the food and gave him a nice tip and went over to pick Tifa up.

She was already outside waiting for him wearing a dark red sundress that was simple but sexy at the same time and he hugged and kissed her hello before opening the car door for her to drive her to his place. He actually felt a little nervous about what she would think of it.

"So this is my humble home" he said as he showed her around. She took in how masculine everything and how the furniture was obvious purchased for function rather than form. Of course he had the prerequisite leather couches with large screen TV on a stand with game consoles attached to a gaming system.

"It's really..." Tifa struggled for a way to describe it.

"Really?" he prodded her.

"It's such a bachelor pad" she said and giggled.

"Well I am a bachelor...for now" he said taking her hand and her heart skipped a beat at this, "I ordered take out from Pu Pu Hot Pot, I would have cooked for you but didn't wish to kill you with my lousy culinary skills. I'm thinking about learning how to cook" he added.

"I can teach you" she said.

"I'd like that" he said. "Now let's go eat" he suggested, of course after eating and after having a couple beers, they made their way to the couch where they began making out and both got excited by it.

"We'd better stop" she said in a breathless voice, brushing her disheveled hair back and adjusting her straps.

"I suppose, I really don't want to having to resort to dry humping like a hormonal teenager for kicks" he said straightening his own shirt.

"I'm sorry to make you wait" she said, looking down.

He put his hand beneath her chin and made her look at him "you're worth the wait...and I'm pretty handy" he joked to her.

She smiled and kissed him hard and deep. "Now don't get me all hot and bothered again. If we're not having sex, we should do something else. Do you play gauntlet?" he asked her.

"Only if I get to play the Valkyrie" she said.

"The best role" he said handing her a console. "What's mine is yours" he said.

"Not yet and this place would look a whole lot different if I lived here" she said.

"What would you change?" he asked her.

"You have a poker table in your dining room; there would be a normal dining table there" she said.

"Let a woman into your life and they want to change every aspect of a man" he said with a mournful sigh.

"The place itself is nice and would do until we buy a house" she added.

"You would ask me to give up my bachelorhood and swinging pad? You're a demanding woman Miss Lockhart" he sighed.

"I'm worth it. You'll wonder what you ever did without me" she said.

"I already do" he said.

Reno was reliving every part of the visit, right down to the toe curling kiss they exchanged when he dropped her at home. He was on cloud nine and his co-workers tolerated him humming in the halls and giving them cheerful smiles. The man was clearly smitten.

"Reno there's someone waiting for you in your office" Elena said in a tense voice.

"Who is it?" he asked her.

"It's best you go find out" she said.

"Okay, for a highly confidential place with the tightest of security, I'll just go and see who just _happened_ to wander into my office" he sarcastically said. "Hello, I understand...Cloud" he said when he recognized who he was.

"Hello Reno, we need to talk" Cloud said.

"What about?" he asked.

"That you're with my woman" Cloud snapped.

"You need to talk to Tifa" Reno said.

"Once I'm done talking to you. What the hell do you think you're doing? Tifa's mine, she has been since she was sixteen" Cloud said.

"You don't own her and you haven't been treating her very well. She's been lonely since Denzel's grandparents were found and he was returned to them. That upset her and you weren't there for her" Reno said crossing his arms and glaring down at the shorter man.

"And that is our business" Cloud said. "What I'm trying to say is, you have no place in our lives. Our friends hate you due to what you stand for and will never accept you. Would you ostracize her from her life and isolate her from her friends for some silly infatuation she might have for you?" he asked Reno.

"What she feels for me is real" Reno insisted.

"Come on, you're smarter than that. I know Tifa's probably feeling the itch, it's been a while for her. Of course, she's no slut and has to be in a relationship to sleep with someone and I guess she probably does care about you on some fundamental level" Cloud explained to him.

"We haven't slept together yet" Reno said triumphantly.

"Perhaps that's for the best. Reno, it's nothing personal. You're a good looking guy but she's only ever wanted me. Even if you knocked her up, she would still choose me and I would raise your kid because I'm her hero and that's what we do. If this were a movie or something; I would be the hero and you the comic relief...and the comic relief never gets the girl. I'm sure she enjoyed her time with you, but you have to let her go" Cloud said.

Reno realized there was no passion in his voice, he was speaking about her almost clinically. "You don't love her, you just don't want anyone else to have her" he said.

"Does it matter? She's mine. When I walk through that door, she'll forget all about this silly crush she has on you and our friends will rejoice my return. Do you think they will celebrate your union that way?" Cloud asked him.

"No" Reno said, the words heavy in his mouth.

"Hey no hard feelings, you seem like a decent guy. I'm saying you should realize what's happening here. Either way, she's going to break up with you. You might want to break up with her first. Nice seeing you again, I'll show myself out" he said and Reno sat down at his desk and felt like his heart would shatter. He knew the almost hero-like worship Tifa held for Cloud, for her to say she was over him when Cloud was gone was one thing, but quite another now that he was back to claim her. Reno realized with a heavy heart that he didn't have a chance.

Cloud got outside and called Cid "I'm back. Could you do a favour and call the others and tell them to meet me at the 7th Heaven? It seems that an intervention is in order. Tifa's been sneaking around with an unsavory suitor and we have to nip this in the bud. Thanks Cid, it's good to be back" Cloud said and rang off.

The redheaded girl who leaned against Cloud's bike was an older version of another girl Zack had liked, who had left the TURKS long ago. Her name had been Cessnei but her real name was Cynthia Randall, nee Strife.

"You took a while" she commented.

"Sorry Cyn, I need to run over to the 7th Heaven and deal with Tifa, she's gotten involved with someone no one approves of" Cloud explained.

"The same ones I've never met?" she said. "Are you ashamed of me?"

"Of course not, Tifa sends money to me and that allows us to live the lifestyle we do when that's added to what I make. You'll need to lay low for a couple of days while I manage Tifa and then we'll head home" he promised her.

"You promise not to sleep with her" she said, looking at him through narrowed eyes.

"I have the perfect girl" he assured her and it was true, in a certain light, she looked like Aerith. Cloud wasn't really good with irony and saw nothing of a pot calling the kettle black type of situation where a member of AVALANCHE had married a TURK, or ex-TURK in this case.


	6. Chapter 6

Hey it's Sid, tomorrow shall be the final chapter. They keep getting too long and I keep on having to start another. I'm really happy you're all enjoying this and we're back to fluffy waff tomorrow. Keep smiling and please review if you feel so inclined.

Roll 'em

Tifa was surprised when all her friends came to see her.

They all seemed a little tense and were making pointless small talk, or so she thought.

Of course she saw Cid and Barret from time to time, but most of the time they contacted her when in town and didn't just stroll into her bar as if it was an everyday occurrence. However, when Cloud came in, it filled her with latent joy but apprehension at the time same time. She knew that she would have to face him eventually, but she had finally realized she had been obsessed with him for far too long. He was and always had been her first love and she had been clinging to him like a safety blanket after her world had literally gone up in flame. She had been fighting Sephiroth and Shinra and time had marched on. She was now twenty six and yet her life had never really begun. She never had the family she wanted. Cloud hadn't wanted to resume their relationship for years. She didn't want to cling to him any longer, she wanted a life. She wanted someone to live with, hold and make love to. She wanted Reno, perhaps he wasn't completely serious about marrying her but he was a chance she was willing to take. He was a passionate man and he had proved that with every kiss and touch he had given her and her love starved body hungered for more. Her longing for him emotionally and physical seemed to know no bounds.

"Cloud" she greeted him with less enthusiasm than usual, "welcome home."

"Are you happy to see me?" Cloud asked her.

"Of course" Tifa said.

"Spare me, I know that you've been screwing around behind my back" Cloud snapped at her.

"Tifa is this true?" Yuffie said with shock in her voice.

"I've been dating someone" Tifa admitted flushing with embarrassment. "I was planning to tell you guys" she promised them.

"Who?" Barret asked her.

"It's..." she said.

"She's been screwing around with Reno, the TURK" Cloud said.

"But why Tifa? He's little more than a tramp" Yuffie said with disapproval in her voice.

"We haven't slept together yet and he's not like that anymore. We're monogamous" she said.

Cid swore and then said "Reno? He's the biggest sleaze around, Tifa what are you thinking? He's a walking advertisement for STDs."

"He's only with me" she insisted.

"That you know of" Cloud cut in.

"I'm disappointed in you. You should know better" Cid snapped at her.

"He's a TURK as well" Barret reminded her.

"What does have to do with anything? Rufus's running things now, he's changed everything, including the TURKS. They're not the enemy anymore and even when they were, Reno was all of around eighteen when we met him. He was just doing his job. We even joined forces with them once in a while back in the day. The Reno we knew changed just like we did. I'm not saying he's perfect, but he cares for me a lot and is even talking about marriage" she explained to each bleak look of disapproval.

"Reno really would say anything to get between a woman's thighs" Cloud said with contempt. "I'm left you alone too much, this is my fault" Cloud said, giving her a contrite look.

"I think I'm in love with him" she said.

"I'm sorry Tifa, I just can't help but being disappointed in you for falling for his trick" Barret said and gave her a kiss on a cheek.

"Barret but..." she said.

"I'm your friend but I will never accept Reno being with you" Cid agreed.

"I can't accept it either, I love you but...you're asking too much" Yuffie said with sorrow in her voice.

"Come Tifa, we have to talk" Cloud said and took her upstairs to where they were alone.

"Cloud I'm sorry but..." she said and looked questioningly when he sobbed. "Cloud?" she cautiously said.

"You would leave me when I need you?" he said looking at her as tears rolled down his face. Her arms went around him in a fierce hug. "I can't be without you" he sobbed out.

"I would never leave you" she promised him as she stroked his heaving back.

"But Reno?" he sobbed.

"I-I" she said conflicted.

"I need you" he cried.

"I'll end it with him..." she promised him while tears ran down her own face and she felt like her heart was breaking but she had chosen Cloud because he needed her.

"You will? But when?" he said. Leaning back and still sniffling.

"I'll call him" she said numbly.

"You've made me so happy. Things will be back to normal really soon. I'm sorry I left you alone for so long. I won't neglect you like that again" he promised, drawing her back in a hug as she sobbed as if her heart was breaking, which it was while Cloud smiled in triumph over her shoulder.

Tifa waited until she was alone and called Reno. Cloud had left saying he was staying with a friend.

Reno smiled at who was calling him, "hi beautiful. I was just about to call you, I was wondering if you were free for dinner. I learned how to make beans with cut up hotdogs. I know it's not much but it's a s..."

"Reno, I'm sorry I can't see you anymore" she sobbed into the phone.

"But I lo...like you. I thought you were happy with me" he said in a tight voice.

"I am-I was...I'm sorry, Cloud...he needs me" she said and all the fight went out of Reno.

"I-I understand..." he said forcing himself to sound calm, knowing he couldn't win.

"I can't...I" she said and then hung up when she burst into tears and she dropped her phone and it disconnected. She could hear the cheerful sound of her patrons having fun downstairs in her bar and wished she were dead. The door to her apartment opened and closed, arms went around her and she was drawn against a crimson cape. She was shocked to find herself in Vincent's arms as he wasn't the sort to offer comfort.

"I love him" she said out loud for the first time to anyone.

"I know, you wouldn't be upset if you weren't. Love can break a person more than anything else" he said and held his colleague, offering silent comfort without judgment.

Reno looked at his phone and put it down, he got up stiffly from his desk and whirled and punch a hole in the drywall, his knuckles were bleeding when he drew his hand back and he felt moisture on his face. He brushed his other hand over his face and was surprised to find it was a tear.

He looked at the droplet, he didn't cry, hadn't for years since his mother died when he was fourteen, leaving him alone in the world; his father he had never met. He had had to construct a thick shell around himself just to survive, something that aided him in his chosen profession. He was tough and steely to the core, except for his long neglected heart. There was a searing pain in his chest, the likes he had never experienced before and struggled to get himself under control as he staggered back to his desk. Soon he was bent over it with his head buried in his hands and sobbed uncontrollably. He had been trained to withstand: torture, interrogation, brainwashing, even rape but not to withstand a broken heart

After a couple of false promises and some caresses, Cloud took his leave and returned to the hotel to find his wife reading in bed. "I didn't think you would be this late" she said with anger in her voice.

"Sorry I had to make good with Tifa, everything's fine now" he said getting undressed and into bed beside her.

"You didn't sleep with her?" she asked him.

"I gave her so kisses and pet her a bit, there's only one woman I want to sleep with" he said kissing her.

"I don't like this, it's like she's always in our marriage with us" Cynthia complained.

"There's only you and I" Cloud assured her.

"If it's just a question of the money, I can talk to Rufus and become a TURK again...he will probably punish me for breaking my contract, but I wouldn't have to hide anymore or I can get another job" she offered.

"I don't like the idea of my wife making more than me" he said. "Besides, it's for the best. Tifa will continue to help support us. Besides, the person she chose to try and replace me with is a real skank. She should thank me for my intervention. Reno indeed" Cloud said.

"Reno, as in the TURK Reno?" Cynthia said sitting up.

"The very same. He had her convinced he was all in love with her and spouting marriage talk. Some guys will say anything to get laid" Cloud said dismissively.

"But Reno would never do that. He's very emotionally guarded due to his upbringing, he's a good guy even if he likes the ladies, he would never pretend to love someone" she said.

"Perhaps he changed?" Cloud said.

"No, he may be a flirt but he's no liar. I always thought that if he found someone to love, he would mate for life. Cloud what have you done?"

"What I needed to" Cloud said defensively.

"Does Tifa love him?" Cynthia said.

"I don't doubt it, she made such a fuss about having to give him up" Cloud said.

"I'm going for a walk, I need to think. I'm not sure I can be with someone who would cost two people perhaps their only chance at happiness" Cynthia said, feeling troubled. Cynthia was jealous of Tifa and how she seemed to lay with them in their very marriage bed but now felt only guilt towards her and sadness for her old friend and colleague.

The TURKS were concerned for Reno at how the spark seemed to have gone out of the normally dynamic man. He was obviously drinking again and sometimes came in looking like he'd slept in his uniform half the time and his eyes looked dead as he silently went about his business. He didn't even interrupt their current meeting once with his snores.

"The President shall go on tour for two months. He decided this last night. I need a volunteer to go with him to supplement and command his security team" Tseng said and looked up at the silence.

"I'll go" Reno offered.

"Are you sure? I mean..." Tseng asked him.

"When do I leave?" Reno cut him off.

"On Thursday" Tseng said.

"Three days from now. I'll be ready" Reno said, wanting only to be far away from the woman who broke his heart as possible.


	7. Chapter 7

This is the final chapter of this story. Thanks for reading and reviewing :)

Sid

Rufus looked dubiously at his TURK in a black fiberglass half cast "I'm sorry out of three other able bodied people, you want me to take along the cripple for my personal security?" he asked them.

Tseng cleared his throat "Reno's pretty much ambidextrous in both hands and he did volunteer" he explained.

"My hand's only fractured, yo, the metacarpal in my ring finger slipped out of joint and had to the splinted" Reno explained.

"How did that even happen?" Rufus asked him.

Rude spoke up for the first time "the wall of his office insulted him and he was defending his honour" he explained though he knew the truth. Rude had been the one to find Reno in his office where he'd cried himself to sleep as he lay with his face cradled in his injured hand. Rude was the one who helped wash his face and then took him to the emergency where Reno had to wait two hours to get treated under another name. The TURKS were very discreet people and although they had full access to the WRO clinic, sometimes they felt their injuries were their business and not to be shared with the President as he seemed to want to know everything about his direct employees.

"Ah Miss Lockhart and yourself had a falling out?" Rufus said.

"How did you know..." Reno demanded.

"I take my security very seriously and need to know the distractions in my employees lives. I generally tend to know who is involved with whom" he said looking at Elena and Rude who turned equal shades or red. "So you feel you can handle this assignment?" he demanded of him.

"I am able to handle my weapon with either hand and shall really only be overseeing your own men. I can function as normal, it's just a temporary setback" he assured him.

"I don't have to cut your meat for you or tie your shoes?" Rufus asked.

"I have both of those things covered and have the brand new experience of using my other hand in self gratification; it's like making love to a stranger" he joked.

"You're not going to go crazy or anything?" Rufus asked him.

"I'm as cool as a cucumber and rather need some distance from things" Reno explained.

"Very well, I accept you as head of security. But I'm sorry things didn't work out for you and Tifa; everyone deserves a happy ending" Rufus added in sympathy.

"Perhaps some people just aren't meant to be happy?" Reno said and looked forward to simply leaving, the discipline of work would keep his mind off things. Him being gone would make things easier for both of them and he didn't want to be there if she married Cloud, it would be too painful for his still aching heart.

Tifa wasn't faring much better, her "friends" were elated that she and Cloud were back together and would publicly "tease" her for even considering Reno as a potential suitor for her hand. Cloud was the one who would start them off and it hurt Tifa how they were ignoring how fresh her pain was. She knew her friends weren't trying to be cruel, they just knew that she and Cloud had a long history and felt that they should be together forever.

However, she wasn't so convinced. What was the distant blonde compared to the passionate redhead? He was someone from her past, someone who probably didn't love her and would never commit to her and someone who still grieved a dead girl who had been both her friend and rival. Cloud seemed to take, take, take and give nothing back. Why was she just seeing this now?

"Hey I don't hate Reno, but remember that time you caught him in the stock room with that blonde girl? Talk about being caught with your pants down" Yuffie laughed.

"Yeah he's a real skank" Cid agreed.

"You're so much better off with Spikey" Barret agreed.

"Aren't you glad we're back together?" Cloud said putting a territorial arm around her.

"Very" she said, but glancing away.

"We're right back to normal. I wouldn't change anything about us" Cloud declared.

"That's enough" a cool feminine voice said as she removed her sunglasses and hat. "You people are so cruel, you should be ashamed of yourselves" she said looking at all of them. Tifa thought the redhead looked rather familiar but couldn't place her.

"Cynthia, what are you doing here?" Cloud demanded.

"I'm doing the right thing" she said.

"Can I discuss this with you privately?" Cloud intervened..

"Who is this?" Tifa asked him.

"I'm Cynthia...Strife" she said. "I've been married to Cloud for four years" she explained.

"What?" Tifa demanded.

"You knew me as Cessnei, I was a TURK, I was involved with Zack. After Aerith was killed and Zack, I moved to where his parents were to keep an eye on them as I promised him and Cloud came to find me and we got involved" Cynthia explained. "If you don't believe me, here is our marriage certificate, wedding pictures and mortgage statement for our house. Tifa he's been lying to you. He runs a decent business that could easily support us both if he invested the time into it. He's been using yo;, we've both been using you and I'm sorry. I've been keeping silent out of jealousy but I can't keep silent any ling if he's hurting both you and my friend. Reno was like having a goofy younger brother around, he didn't ever quite fit in with the TURKS and rebelled against the dress code but he's a fine and decent man. You both deserve happiness. Give up on Cloud and go to Reno. If he ever implied he loves you, he's not lying" she urged her.

"Cloud is this true?" Tifa coldly said.

"Yeah Cloud, is it true?" Barret demanded.

"Please explain" Yuffie demanded.

"Well...technically" Cloud began.

"You would do this to me just because you don't want to have to work?" Tifa said in a deadly calm voice.

"You know I care for you" Cloud said cautiously.

"No you don't or you would have just let me go a long time ago. You wouldn't have let me buy this bar if you didn't want a future with me. You took me away from a possible future with someone because you don't like letting people go. We're done. I'm selling this bar and returning your investment and not a penny more. All of that can be arranged through a lawyer and I never want to see you again after this. This is what you get for trying to control me and ruining any chance of happiness I might have found" she said and punched him as hard as she could and down he went like a wet sack of grain.

"As for everyone else who thought I should give up on Reno, I don't care anymore" Tifa challenged the shocked looking group.

Vincent stood up from where he was lurking in the shadow "go to him. But first put on something that he likes to see on you. Dress for him alone" Vincent instructed her and Tifa nodded and went and put on her sundress from their first date and was on her way. Vincent and Cessnei just glared at the rest.

"Would you care to explain your problem with the TURKS? Might I remind you that I was one" Vincent said as Cessnei gathered up her limp husband and carried him from the place. She wasn't sure how she felt about him at that moment but still loved him. She decided she would go to Rufus at a later time and explain who she was and what she did and throw herself on his mercy. She couldn't live this half life of trying not to attention to herself in case another TURK showed up to take her out for deserting her contract. She needed to live with or without Cloud.

Reno was getting ready to leave, his luggage was stowed in the plane and the limousine was coming to pick him up to take him to the landing strip with Rufus. He looked around his office and at the hole in the wall that the maintenance workers hadn't got around to fixing and felt like he was closing a chapter on his life as he turned off the light to the office he wouldn't see for two months.

He had about a hour before the limo was due so decided to go for coffee as he wanted to be clear headed to start his assignment. "Reno" someone yelled he turned.

"Tifa?" he said in surprise "what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be home with Cloud" he bitterly said.

"Your hand" she said with concern in her voice and he paused that she seemed out of breath as if she'd been running.

"It's nothing. What do you want?" he asked her.

"I've been a fool. Cloud made me believe that he needed me, I like being needed. But he doesn't, he's married. I want you if it's not too late. I want you because I love you" she cried and he could only stare at her while his brain processed everything that she had said.

"You love me?" he said, waiting with bated breath for her answer.

"Yes, please give me another chance. I'm not really good with this stuff. It's been so long. Please say you care about me too" she pleaded with him, feeling as awkward as all hell at how he started back at her without a trace of emotion on his face.

He answered her by throwing his arms around her and latching his lips to hers and kissed her silly. "Of course I do..." he said and caressed her cheek. "Are you sure?" he asked her.

"I'm selling my bar and returning the money Cloud invested to him. I'm cutting all ties with him and changing my life. I know we were talking jokingly about marriage. I can wait five year if necessary" she said.

"I'm about to go on mission for two months" he told her.

"I'll be here when you get back" she promised him.

He reached a decision "come on" he urged her as he dragged her down the halls as fast as he could.

"Where are we going?" she asked as her hair trailed behind her as they dashed.

"Here. Marry me" he said pulled her in front of the registry office. "We don't have a lot of time before I have to leave but I don't want to leave you here single. You can plan a real wedding for when I return" he explained in a rush of words.

"But I'm not single" she said.

"I don't want you to fall prey to another person like Cloud because I'm not around. I'm not saying you're stupid, you have a soft heart is all and like to believe the best in people. This way I can protect you" he urged her.

"That's the only reason?" she asked him suspiciously.

"No because I love you" he blurted out. She laughed and dragged him inside before he could change his mind. Fifteen minutes and one hundred and forty gils later, they both left as frisky as a couple of hormonal teenagers as they hustled back to his office. She was kissing him before he even shut the door and he scooped her up and placed her on his desk and her long smooth legs wrapped around his waist. "If you don't want to here, we can wait until I get back" he said while his hands fished under her skirt for her panties as she fumbled with his belt.

"Mr. St. Clair, I haven't had sex in about ten years, if you don't take me this instant I shall be forced to kill you on our wedding day" she said, wanting him as urgently as he did her.

He laughed as he pulled them from her "this isn't going to be much of a consummation but I shall endeavor to satisfy you Mrs. St. Clair" he said as he lined himself up to take her. When they came together it was intense and raw in their hunger for each other. but tender as well and so, so satisfying. The world seemed to move as they bucked and writhed together in perfect unison as if they were old lovers. Her scream on climax was muffled by his lips on hers as his flow joined hers in a mutual climax. He clung to her to remain upright, his knees threatening to buckle and his heart was gripped by such emotion that he physically gasped.

"Are you okay?" she asked him.

"I'm fine" and that was when he realize how fiercely protective he was of her now that she was his, he would kill for her and die for her. They were both giggling as he helped her clean up and put her panties back on. "I'm sorry I have to go like this. I swear as soon as I get home, I'll taking you to bed for three days" he said.

"But what about children?" she asked him when they left the office with her clinging to his arm.

"We might have started having those already" he reminded her giving her a wolfish grin "and if it didn't take, we'll keep on trying. I wouldn't be so selfish to deny you what you really want, but I'll probably need a lot of direction how to raise them from yourself. It will probably sometimes feel like you're married to a giant child yourself" he cautioned her as he stole yet another kiss. They couldn't seem to stop touching each other and kissing.

They got to the front door just as Rufus got out of the limo "Tifa?" he questioned.

"Do you mind if I go with you to see him off? We just got married" she explained.

"Hop in" Rufus said without comment. "I could asked another TURK to go with me" he offered to the clinging couple.

"No, his job is too important to him for that. I'll be here arranging our place and planning our wedding" Tifa explained.

"Wedding? Don't worry I can explain all about wedding etiquette to him and teach him proper dances for it" Rufus offered.

"I take it you're going to partner me?" Reno asked him.

"Of course" he said and they just exchanged looks of amusement as they got out of the limo.

"Tifa what are you doing here?" Rude asked her.

"We just came from a wedding; our." Reno explained while they still clung together.

"Seriously?" Elena said.

"We're having a real one when he get back" Tifa explained.

"Reno you had better say goodbye to your wife, we have to go" Rufus said and watched as they whispered to each other and kissed deeply while Rude just rolled his eyes and Elena looked on with longing in her eyes.

"You seriously want to have a fancy wedding?" Reno whispered to her.

"I want to get married in a garden and rent a hall" she retorted.

"I'm going to be so over qualified as a groom when I return" he said with a laugh.

"Better over than under" she said and gave him one final kiss.

"My keys, move in when you're ready. We'll start looking a houses when I get back" he promised her, snatching one last kiss.

"Be careful Honey Bunny" she called after him.

"I will Sweetie Tweety" he called back with a laugh and grin.

"Oh hell no, they have pet names for each other" Rude said with a groan.

"I think it's sweet" Elena insisted.

Elena moved so she was standing beside Tifa while Rude said goodbye to his friend. "So how did you do it?" she asked her.

"Do what?" Tifa explained.

"Manage to nab a man with commitment issues, I've been trying to score with Tseng for years to no avail" Elena explained.

"I finally got sick of another man's crap and found a man I'd overlooked and nabbed him instead" Tifa explained. "Is there someone else you like?" she asked her.

Elena blushed when she thought back to the day she first noticed how handsome Rude was, she had felt like dressing up and wore a floaty pink skirt and black sleeveless blouse, she'd waved her hair and put on a little makeup. She was in the grocery store when something had fallen out of her cart and a handsome man picked it up. He called her gorgeous and smiled at her and she had to tell Rude it was her. He'd invited her to lunch and they had become a bit of an item. Now he was inviting her over for dinner and would lovingly prepare meals his grandmother taught him how to make and then have her for dessert. But was he serious about her? Time would tell.

"So do I get to be a bridesmaid given that I refuse to take a male role?" Elena asked her.

"You know what, sure. I'm sure you'll look great in a really ruffled chartreuse gown with puffy sleeves" Tifa said linking an arm with hers.

"And an ass bow, I insist on that" she agreed.

"I'll find one so big you could probably go gliding with it" Tifa promised her. Tifa found herself being amused and comfortable with the female TURK. Tifa felt her friends would come around with time and she now had a future with a man she loved beyond anything. Now she just had to decide what she wanted to do for the rest of her life now that she was getting out of the bar business. However being Reno's wife was going to be her first priority, that and giving a woman's touch to his bachelor pad now that she'd be living there too. Her first stop was to pick up some bridal catalogues to get sense of what the trend was towards dresses. She actually had a huge binder of a wedding planned to a different man that was destined for the garbage. She was making a fresh start and needed to plan something that was classy but still rather causal, if her groom's normal appearance gave her any indication. She would have it all ready to go when he returned, rings and all. All he would have to do is dress she told him and show up on time, but wasn't that true of every groom at any wedding?

2 Months Later

Reno carried his garment bag and wheeled his suitcase behind him as he approached his condo. The door flew opened before he put his key in the lock and Tifa latched into him like he had been sorely missed, which he had.

Between suggestive Skype conversations, sexting and Tifa's natural flair for dirty talk, he had been more than impatient to get home to her. Other women had come onto Reno while he shadowed Rufus as he attracted attention like a beacon but he just said he was married. Rufus himself took up the slack of looking after the horny women that Reno normally made a conquest of and it worked out well for both.

Reno would often hear sounds of their love play in the next room while he chatted with Tifa and didn't envy Rufus one bit while he gazed at the picture on the screen of the woman he had married who was beautiful both inside and out and a real lady and virtuous to boot.

"Something sure smells good" he commented.

"I made lasagna with Caesar salad and garlic bread" she retorted.

"That smells good too" he teased her. He was impatient to take her to bed and the skimpy mini dress that hugged each bewitching curve of her body wasn't helping. However, he didn't want to rush their reunion either. Truth be told, he probably could have let her know he was home by knocking with his erection alone. Celibacy wasn't a natural state for him and he sensed her arousal too.

"Do you want to eat?" She asked him.

"I would like to eat you" he replied.

"Dinner first" she chided him while giving him teasing kisses that enflamed him and they did wait until they could no longer eat another bit and he scooped her up and hustled her into their bed.

Hours later, her hair was a tangled mess as she lay half on top of him feeling sated as she never had in her life and he had his own bedhead going on as he held her, she felt so perfect in his arms. "Now that was some homecoming" he said with a smirk.

"I had no idea it could feel like that" Tifa said in a dreamy voice.

"And you can have that whenever you want, I'm the gift that keeps on giving" he bragged as he caressed the contours of her bottom.

"Oh I know that, you already gave me a gift" she said giving him a crooked grin.

"Myself?" He questioned her and she just handed him the pregnancy test she'd secreted in a drawer.

He seemed to go pale at the blue plus sign on it "already? But we've been married for about a minute" he said "I guess it's a good thing we're already married or I would probably be involved in a shot gun wedding" he commented. "I guess we'll really need to get us that house if you're this fertile."

"Probably" she agreed and moaned as his hands slipped lower and started getting her ready for a second round.

"You want me already?" She teased him.

"It's been a while since I made love to two people" he said as he rolled her over so she was under him. "Two things you'll learn about me: Mrs. St. Clair, 1. I have a sex drive second to none. 2. I'm very good in bed" he explained to her and he proved that to her and it thrilled her while he made ardent love to his young wife while his heart soared with love for her.


End file.
